Climate & Energy
Climate change is the defining crisis of the century, yet policy responses remain dramatically inadequate — not because the science is uncertain, but because the fossil fuel industry has spent decades and billions of dollars lobbying against regulation, funding climate denial, and greenwashing their public image.
Gen Us covers climate and energy because the gap between scientific consensus and political action is a direct product of corporate influence. Fossil fuel companies knew about climate change as early as the 1970s and chose to fund doubt rather than adapt. Today, they have shifted to greenwashing — claiming climate leadership while expanding production.
We trace fossil fuel lobbying and campaign contributions, document greenwashing claims against actual emissions data, analyze how media coverage of climate is shaped by energy industry advertising, and track the revolving door between energy companies and regulatory agencies.
Key Questions We're Asking
- •How much do fossil fuel companies spend on lobbying vs. their actual investment in renewable energy?
- •Which politicians receive the most fossil fuel money, and how does it correlate with their voting records on climate?
- •How do energy company greenwashing campaigns compare to their actual emissions and production plans?
- •What is the revolving door between the EPA, Department of Energy, and fossil fuel companies?
- •How does energy industry advertising in major media outlets affect coverage of climate policy?
What Mainstream Media Misses
- •Fossil fuel companies' greenwashing budgets often exceed their actual renewable energy investments — but media covers the PR, not the gap.
- •The false equivalence of 'both sides' framing — giving equal airtime to climate deniers and scientists — has delayed public understanding by decades.
- •Fossil fuel advertising in major media outlets creates a financial disincentive to aggressive climate coverage.
- •The economic case for renewable energy is now overwhelming, yet coverage still frames climate action as economically costly rather than profitable.
Follow the Money
- •The fossil fuel industry spends over $100 million annually on federal lobbying.
- •Oil and gas companies contributed hundreds of millions to political campaigns in recent election cycles.
- •ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, Chevron, and TotalEnergies reported combined profits exceeding $150 billion in 2022 alone.
- •Fossil fuel companies spend billions on advertising, including in the very media outlets that cover climate policy.